American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
Also known as: Whelk Cracker
About This Species
Look along coastal beaches, sandbars and salt marshes for a heavy-bodied shorebird with a long, bright red-orange bill used to pry open bivalves and other shellfish. It nests in a simple scrape on open beach or dune habitat, often near the tideline, making beach walks at low tide a good time to spot birds foraging. Breeding pairs are typically most visible in spring and summer along the immediate coast.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- This is a beach-nesting species and nests are easily lost to trampling or predators when parents are flushed, so keep well back from any marked or roped-off nesting areas, especially in spring and summer, and keep dogs leashed nearby.
- Specific protections and seasonal closures vary by beach, state and country along its range, so check local signage and regulations before approaching birds on the shore.
LCAvesCharadriiformesHaematopodidae
Seasonal Activity
683,812 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Haematopodidae
Photo
(c) Carlos Moura, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Carlos Moura
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.